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Inglewood gunman who shot officer taken into custody, hostages freed

KPCC staff | KPCC with AP

Inglewood police snipers take up a position outside a residence, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, in Inglewood, where a police officer was shot and another received minor injuries in a confrontation with a gunman who barricaded himself inside a home and could be holding a hostage, authorities said.

Nick Ut/AP

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Update 12:36 a.m. Thursday A gunman fired several shots at a pair of police officers, hitting one, and held two hostages for nearly nine hours — but all came away from the standoff without serious injuries.

The 45-year-old gunman and the girlfriend and her 14-year-old daughter that he held hostage in their house all came away unharmed, police said.

The gunman eventually began talking to negotiators and continued for several hours. At about 9:15 p.m., he released the hostages and walked out of his house with his hands up, police Lt. Mark Fried told the Daily Breeze.

— The Associated Press

Previously: A bulletproof vest may have saved the life of a policeman who was shot Wednesday by a gunman who then holed up inside a home with two hostages, police said.

Police said one of the hostages may be a 14-year-old girl, according to the Associated Press. Witnesses said a teenage girl had run from the house screaming and was dragged back inside, AP reports.

Police say officers were answering a domestic dispute call when they were met by gunfire before they could enter the home around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, NBC4's Hetty Chang tells KPCC. They were responding to an initial report of a woman being dragged by her hair into the house, Chang said.

Inglewood Police Capt. James D. Madia says the male officer was shot in the chest but it didn't penetrate his vest, Chang said.

"This is incredibly good news," Madia said, the AP reports. "He's going to come out of this OK. He's in a lot of pain."

Officials say he's in good condition, according to the AP. His female partner received minor injuries scrambling trying to help her partner, Chang said.

The injured officers were taken to Centinela Hospital, according to hospital spokesman Steve Brand. Other officers at the scene rushed the injured officers to the hospital in a patrol car, Chang said. They were later discharged, with the male officer taken to UCLA Harbor Medical Center while the female officer was not taken to another hospital and was presumably sent home, NBC4 reports.

Officers fired back at the gunman but it wasn't immediately known if he was wounded, Lt. Oscar Mejia said at a news conference.

Madia said the gunman might be holding at least one girl or woman captive in the house, the AP reports.

A SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called, according to the AP. There was communication between the gunman and officers, but Mejia said at a news conference that he didn't know what that communication included.

Nearby homes were evacuated and several blocks around the home were cordoned off, according to the AP.

Mejia said at a news conference that residents should remain in their homes until an officer comes to evacuate them. Television news reports showed police leading a line of children and adults along a block, with one officer holding a child, the AP reports.